"Just yesterday, my opponent called my position on fuel efficiency standards extreme," said Obama. "It doesn't seem extreme to me to want to build more fuel efficient cars. Maybe the steam engine is more his speed."

Obama further added that the new CAFE standards will allow U.S. drivers to fill up their gas tanks "half as often." But when the new rules were finalized Tuesday, Romney failed to see the benefit to driving citizens.

"Governor Romney opposes the extreme standards that President Obama has imposed, which will limit the choices available to American families," said Andrea Saul, Romney spokeswoman. "The president tells voters that his regulations will save them thousands of dollars at the pump, but always forgets to mention that the savings will be wiped out by having to pay thousands of dollars more upfront for unproven technology that they may not even want."

While some are clearly unhappy with the new standards, others are seeing added benefits. Honda, for example, was delighted to see that the standards provided extra credits for those selling natural gas-powered vehicles. Tesla also jumped on the CAFE bandwagon when it learned that it could sell any credits for surpassing the standards to companies that haven't.

The CAFE standards will raise the average fuel efficiency of cars and light trucks to 54.5 mpg by model year 2025. These new standards, which were created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOTs) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), were based off of the Obama Administration's first standards raised average fuel efficiency to 35.5 mpg by 2016. It was intended for cars and light trucks during model years 2011-2016.

The 54.5 mpg CAFE standard aims to save consumers more than $1.7 trillion at the gas pump, cut U.S. oil consumption by 12 billion barrels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 billion metric tons over the course of the program, and encourage the adoption of autos like electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids.

I used to do the same.Then I realized I could have the best of both worlds by having a dual fuel vehicle that ran Petrol and LPG gas.LPG Gas is almost half the price, slightly less economy, but it is ohhhh sooo cheap here, cleaner too!

Tell that to Steve Jobs. Apple essentially created markets where previously either none existed or barely existed. Amazon blazed a similar path. The iPad was not created because some communist central committee of wise men decreed that people must have a rectangular computer without a keyboard. The tech world is littered with forgotten companies as well that pioneered completely new product ideas and concepts but we don't remember because some other capitalist figured out how to take the idea and spin it a little better.

To go further back in history, the assembly line wasn't created by government diktat, nor was the lightbulb invented because of a government mandate for increased indoors luminosity.

Germany is currently the strongest economy in Europe, and the fourth largest in the world, after being defeated in two world wars, having to rebuild an entire industrial base and economy from scratch in just 70 years, and unify an ideologically divided country.

How do you think they did that? Through massive PUBLIC investment into Germany's infrastructure, currency reform, and loosening of regulation. This is despite having their industrial capacity dismantled as punishment for the war.

The point is, it was through a huge, collective effort and collaboration between GOVERNMENT and INDUSTRY that this succeeded. There is no silver bullet to economic recovery. Austerity doesnt work - as every European economy can clearly demonstrate. Massive public investment on its own, without improving efficiency and bureaucracy, wont work either. But having a government work hand in hand with industry, encouraging and supporting investment, creation of industries, that gets economies moving. History has shown time and time again that this works.

Both sides of the ideological spectrum need to get over their knee-jerk opposition to alternating theories, and meet each other in the middle. Mix capitalism and socialism. Improve regulation in some areas, reduce it in others. Base it on historical examples and evidence, not ideology.

While I do not agree with the regulation, I do not think you are correct in this. The automakers were part of setting up the standards. I think that the only reason they are publicly putting up a problem with it is to say they fought to keep prices low, so when they do raise prices, they can blame it on Obama.

Buick is now making e-assist standard on the regal at a cost of $2k, and they can blame it all on cafe.

Yes much like a child is a "part" of the process of being grounded by a parent. We're grounding you and this is why. Oh you don't like it? Tough cookies, you're grounded anyway, but thank you for sharing your concerns.

There's slews of documentation from business leaders who have been "invited" by Obama to "share" their views on something. It's a complete waste of time because he just goes ahead with his plans regardless of any input or expertise they might give.

This situation is NOTHING like your example of Germany. There the Government actually worked with the industrial sector to BOOST Capitalism. There's a word for it: Wirtschaftswunder

For one, among many, the billions put into Germany by the US to help rebuild the country after WW2. And Germany doesn't have to divert a ton of money to defense, since the US carries the burden.

Heck, we still partial prop-up the economy of Germany by having all those military bases and personnel there in country. It was sometime during the Clinton or Bush Admin there were talks about closing alot of those bases in Germany. The Germans were not happy, due to the hugh impact it would have had on their economy.

That magic of 70 years isn't quite as straight forward as you would want it to seem. Quite honestly Germany wouldnt' be where they are today if it wasn't for the help of the US.

Again, where did the money come from in the first place for the "massive public investment"?? From the private sector!! The market place, captalism.

Ahh the meeting in the middle crap. You don't meet people in the middle when their ideas are wrong to begin with.

Germany's infrastructure was dismantled during the Marshall Plan. Billions were taken OUT of Germany, industrial patents were stolen, their manufacturing and infrastructure fell to 50% of 1938 levels, and the population began to starve. The allies actually charged the Germans 7 billion a year as occupation costs.

Fair pay for Hitler's work in WW2 perhaps, but thats for another debate. Eventually, the attitude did soften, and its estimated that Germany received about 1 billion over the course of the Plan, but the cost to industry and economy were incalculable.

It only began to pick up for them again in the 50s, mainly due to the work of their Finance Minister at the time, the creation of the Deutsch mark, and by joining the European Coal and Steel Community.

You're right that the US military presence is important for many small towns in the south, due to the ancillary service industries that sprang up to support the bases. But to say its 'propping up' the economy in any significant way doesn't really hold water.

You seem to think Im anti-capitalism. I'm not. I think a lot of elements of capitalism are necessary. What is needed (and what works) is balance, because the problems arent black and white, theyre infinite shades of grey.

quote: How do you think they did that? Through massive PUBLIC investment into Germany's infrastructure, currency reform, and loosening of regulation.

Nobody really denies roads are a good thing. However, you'd be the first person to ever to bring that up as why Germany is currently leading Europe. They all dumped tons of money in to those things. Greece has very nice public transport, I am told, and no lack of roads or infrastructure.

Germany leads because of its Mittelstand and a recent government history of forcing Germany to be competitive globally, not retreating and cowering behind trade barriers and government largesse the way France, Italy, Greece and others did.